Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland

IR0902 Dunbogey, Cork (Barry's Head)

Satellite Imagery

Satellite Imagery

HER:  Archaeological Survey of Ireland SMR Database CO113-033002 (None)

NMR:  CO 113 (None)

SM:  None

NGR:  None

X:  572835  Y:  549996  (IRENET95)

Summary

This promontory is situated c. 2km S of Nohaval village at Barry's Head in S Co. Cork. It can be described as a narrow, rocky spine projecting E between Reanies Bay and Newfoundland Bay at an altitude of 12m OD. A rock-cut ditch measuring 5.5m in width and 1.8m in depth crosses the promontory from N to S on the seaward side of the neck and according to Westropp (1914, 102) was dug as part of castle defences (CO133-033001). At the S end of the ditch and immediately inside (to E) is a roughly square sod-covered platform with some stone facing visible at its base. This is the remains of Barrys castle built in the 16th century and finally levelled to present state about 1810 (Westropp 1914, 102). The site is currently under pasture.

Status

Citizen Science:  ✗

Reliability of Data:  Unconfirmed

Reliability of Interpretation:  Unconfirmed

Location

X:  -934305  Y:  6746367  (EPSG: 3857)

Longitude:  -8.39300645234766  Latitude:  51.70169441715113  (EPSG:4326)

Country:  Republic of Ireland

Current County or Unitary Authority:  Cork

Historic County:  Cork

Current Parish/Community/Council/Townland:  Dunbogey

Monument Condition

None

Condition:
Extant   ✓
Cropmark   ✗
Likely Destroyed   ✗

Land Use

None

Current Use:
Woodland   ✗
Commercial Forestry Plantation   ✗
Parkland   ✗
Pasture (Grazing)   ✗
Arable   ✗
Scrub/Bracken   ✗
Bare Outcrop   ✗
Heather/Moorland   ✗
Heath   ✗
Built-up   ✗
Coastal Grassland   ✓
Other   ✗

Landscape

Hillfort Type

Headland can be described as a rocky, steep-sided spine projecting E into Reanies Bay. A rock-cut ditch (Wth 5.5m; D 1.8m), on N-S axis, crosses the promontory on seaward side of neck.

Type:
Contour Fort   ✗
Partial Contour Fort   ✗
Promontory Fort   ✓
Hillslope Fort   ✗
Level Terrain Fort   ✗
Marsh Fort   ✗
Multiple Enclosure Fort   ✗

Topographic Position

Position:
Hilltop   ✗
Coastal Promontory   ✓
Inland Promontory   ✗
Valley Bottom   ✗
Knoll/Hillock/Outcrop   ✗
Ridge   ✗
Cliff/Plateau-edge/Scarp   ✗
Hillslope   ✗
Lowland   ✗
Spur   ✗

Dominant Topographic Feature:  None

Aspect:
North   ✗
Northeast   ✗
East   ✓
Southeast   ✗
South   ✗
Southwest   ✗
West   ✗
Northwest   ✗
Level   ✗

Altitude:  12.0m

Boundary

N/A


Dating Evidence

There is no dating available for the site

Reliability:  D - None

Principal Activity:
Pre 1200BC   ✗
1200BC - 800BC   ✗
800BC - 400BC   ✗
400BC - AD50   ✗
AD50 - AD400   ✗
AD400 - AD 800   ✗
Post AD800   ✗
Unknown   ✓

Other Activity:
Pre Hillfort:   None
Post Hillfort:   Castle site

Evidence:No related records

Investigation History

The Medieval castle is depicted on both the first and second editions of the OS six-maps. An investigation by Westropp in the early twentieth century noted that the rock-cut ditch was part of the castle defenses.

Investigations:
1st Identified Map Depiction (1935):   OS six-inch mapping
Earthwork Survey (1983):   Cork Archaeological Survey

Interior Features

At S end of ditch and immediately inside (to E) is a roughly square sod-covered platform with some stone facing visible at its base. This is the remains of Barry castle.

Water Source

None

Source:
None   ✓
Spring   ✗
Stream   ✗
Pool   ✗
Flush   ✗
Well   ✗
Other   ✗

Surface

Medieval castle foundations

Interior Features (Surface):
No Known Features   ✗
Round Stone Structures   ✗
Rectangular Stone Structures   ✓
Curvilinear Platforms   ✗
Other Roundhouse Evidence   ✗
Pits   ✗
Quarry Hollows   ✗
Other   ✗

Excavation

None

Interior Features (Excavation):
No Known Excavation   ✓
Pits   ✗
Postholes   ✗
Roundhouses   ✗
Rectangular Structures   ✗
Roads/Tracks   ✗
Quarry Hollows   ✗
Other   ✗
Nothing Found   ✗

Geophysics

None

Interior Features (Geophysics):
No Known Geophysics   ✓
Pits   ✗
Roundhouses   ✗
Rectangular Structures   ✗
Roads/Tracks   ✗
Quarry Hollows   ✗
Other   ✗
Nothing Found   ✗

Finds

None

Interior (Finds):
No Known Finds   ✓
Pottery   ✗
Metal   ✗
Metalworking   ✗
Human Bones   ✗
Animal Bones   ✗
Lithics   ✗
Environmental   ✗
Other   ✗

Aerial

Elements of the castle

Interior Features (Aerial):
APs Not Checked   ✗
None   ✗
Roundhouses   ✗
Rectangular Structures   ✓
Pits   ✗
Postholes   ✗
Roads/Tracks   ✗
Other   ✗

Entrances

There are no recorded causeways over the ditch and no banks. The site is accessed at the neck of the promontory from the mainland.

Total Number of Breaks Through Ramparts:  
0:   None

Number of Possible Original Entrances:  
2:   Access presumably across the neck on the W

Guard Chambers:  ✗

Chevaux de Frise:  ✗

Entrances:No related records

Enclosing Works

A rock-cut ditch (Wth 5.5m; D 1.8m), on N-S axis, crosses the promontory on seaward side of neck. There are no recorded banks. 0.33ha enclosed on the crest of the promontory

Enclosed Area:
Area 1:   0.33ha.
Total:   0.33ha.

Total Footprint Area:  0.7ha.

Ramparts

None

Multi-period Enclosure System:
✗   None

Ramparts Form a Continuous Circuit:
✗   None

Number of Ramparts:  
NE Quadrant:   0
SE Quadrant:   0
SW Quadrant:   0
NW Quadrant:   0
Total:   0

Morphology

Current Morphology:
Partial Univallate   ✗
Univallate   ✗
Partial Bivallate   ✗
Bivallate   ✗
Partial Multivallate   ✗
Multivallate   ✗
Unknown   ✓

Detailed Morphology:
Partial Univallate   ✗
Univallate   ✗
Partial Bivallate   ✗
Bivallate   ✗
Partial Multivallate   ✗
Multivallate   ✗

Surface Evidence

None

Enclosing Works (Surface):
None   ✓
Earthen Bank   ✗
Stone Wall   ✗
Rubble   ✗
Wall-walk   ✗
Evidence of Timber   ✗
Vitrification   ✗
Other Burning   ✗
Palisade   ✗
Counter Scarp Bank   ✗
Berm   ✗
Unfinished   ✗
Other   ✗

Excavated Evidence

None

Enclosing Works (Excavation):
None   ✓
Earthen Bank   ✗
Stone Wall   ✗
Murus Duplex   ✗
Timber-framed   ✗
Timber-laced   ✗
Vitrification   ✗
Other Burning   ✗
Palisade   ✗
Counter Scarp Bank   ✗
Berm   ✗
Unfinished   ✗
No Known Excavation   ✗
Other   ✗

Other

Gang Working:
✗   None

Ditches:
✓   None

Number of Ditches:  1

Annex:
✗   None

References

Power, D., Byrne, E., Egan, U., Lane, S., and Sleeman, M. 1994. Archaeological Inventory of County Cork Volume 2: East and South Cork, 64-5. The stationary Office, Dublin.

Westropp, T.J. 1914. Fortified headlands and castles on the south coast of Munster. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 32C, 104-105.



Terms of Use

This work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 and should be cited as:

Lock, Gary and Ralston, Ian. 2024. Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland. Available at: https://hillforts.arch.ox.ac.uk


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